Improvement in apparatus for compressing musket-balls



N-FETERS, FHOTOJJTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON D C y llNiTsn STATES PATsNT Ormes.

CHARLES S. BULKLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOHN E. BOYD, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING MUSKET-BALLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. SAEH, dated May 27, 1862.

To [MZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLns S. BULKLEY, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Gompressing Musket- Balls 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, which has been prepared with a view to the obtaining of Letters Patent therefor.

rlhe accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.l

Figure 1 is a sideview ofthe machine. showing in side elevation the vertically-vibrating lever and its connections, which compose an important feature of the machine. Fig. 2 is an end view of the machine, showing the general form of the cam and connection by which the lever is operated. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a feeding device. (Not represented on the above designated figures.) Fig. 4 is a side elevation of such feeding device.

The feeding device is represented on a large scale, about the size as is required for the manufacture of bullets of ordinary caliber.

Similar letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.

A is a shaft mounted in a suitable framing and driven by a belt or otherwise from any convenient power. On this shaft is a stout crank, A', and a cam, a.

B is a stout lever mounted by its center on the center of a housing or casing, C, directly below the crank A. The housing C contains within it dies which are of suitable form to shape the entire bullet, with the exception of the rear or back. These dies are not represented, but will be designated in this specification by m n. They are similar in form and in effect to those used on other bulletcompressing machines.

The rear or back of each bullet is shaped by a punch, D, which is driven down from above by the motion of the crank A. The dies m u within the housing G are fixed in slides which are free to move longitudinally therein, and are united by means of knuckle-joints to the toggles M N, which appear at the ends of O. The outer ends of M N are united by similar knucklajoint-s to the ends of the lever B, so that a rocking or tilting motion ofB shall open and close the dies m n, which are mounted, respectively, with M and N. The form of the lever B is that of an open rectangle of sufficient width inside to completely inclose the housing G and its contents, as also the toggles M N. The housing O has an opening, 0, in its top and another in its base in line with the punch D.

A connection, E, is jointed to one end of the lever B, which connection extends up and embraces the shaft A, as represented. On its upper end is mounted a friction-roller, F, by means of a suitable stud, f, as represented, which roller is adapted to receive the action of the cam ci, and thus to impart motion to the lever B. The cam a is of such form, and the parts are so proportioned, as represented, that the lever oscillates between the horizontal position in which the dies m n are closed tightly and an inclined position (indicated by red outline) in which the said dies are widely opened, and that while the change from the inclined to the horizontal position, or the closing of the dies, is performed slowly and powerfully the movement in the reverse direction is made very rapidly, the latter change being made either by the weight of the connection E, or of other suitable excess of weight on that end of the lever B, or by a spring, or by a suitable addition to the cam a, allot' which will readily be understood by any skilled mechanic.

The material for the bullets are pellets of lead of the proper weight previously cast by hand or by any suitable means in a form something less in diameter and greater in length than the bullets are desired to be when 1inished. rllhese are dropped singly from a tube into the machine, each at the proper moment, by means now to be described. Figs. l and 2 do not show this feeding device, but exhibit the other parts of the machine complete as if the feeding were to be effected by hand. The portion of the machine shown in Figs. l and 2 will in fact operate successfully if fed by hand or by any mechanism other than my feeding device. The latter is shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and is intended to be applied over the opening in the top of the housing O.

G is the body of my feeder. It is bolted fast to the top of O, so that its cavity gis over and connects with the hole @,described, in the top of C. The hole G is large enough at its base to receive the punch D. At its top it is widened on one side, as represented, and made to receive on that side the end of an inclined pipe, H. Into this pipe the pellets of lead I are fed, by hand or otherwise, so as to follow each other point foremost, each pressing with a portion of its weight upon the rear end of the pellet immediately before it. Each pellet I is by a'very simple contrivance dropped from this pipe at the proper` time into the cavity g, and is there retained till the right moment, when it is admitted into and driven down through the hole c in the top of VC and compressed with great force by the action of the punch D into the dies m n within. These operations are effected by two levers which are each operated in one direction by the motion of the punch D and in the other by a spring or springs.

The first of the levers, in the order of their action upon any given pellet, is designated by J. It is mounted on the center j, as represented, and is composed of two plates, one on each side of G, rigidly connected by two crossbars, J J2. On the side of the punch D is a bracket, d, at the point represented, which at each descent of the punch strikes on the upper cross-bar, J, of the lever J and turns the latter downward, forcing the lower cross-bar, J2, out of the path of the pellet Iand allowing the entire series inthe pipe to move downward a little. The extent of this motion is equal to the length of a single pellet, I. It is prevented from exceeding this amount by the point of the foremost pellet striking obliquely against the side of the punch D. The'punch D next rises, relieving J from the pressure of (Land by the action of the spring K the lever J is returned to its first position, bringing the cross-bar J up through an opening provided in the side of G, so as to press against the foremost but one of the pellets with sufficient force to restrain the entireseries. The foremost pellet having passed, this device rests against the side of the punch D,as described,unti1 the latter rises out of contact therewith. The foremost is then foralittle period free to descend farther in g, and, descending, assumes a vertical position ready to enter between the dies in C. It is now :restrainedI from immediately entering between said dies by a side pressure from a lever, L, which is let into the side of g in the manner shown. This lever is centered at Z, and its lower end is urged inward by the spring p, so as to obstruct the bottom of the passage g,- but as soon asjthe descent of the punch D brings it into contact with the upper or rear-of the pellet it overcomes the slight friction of L and forces the pellet down, as already indicated. The act of the compression of the lead within the dies m a by the power transmitted through the strong punch D does not differ very widely from that in other compressing-machines; but the action of releasing and discharging the bullet after the compression is novel. The revolution of the cam a to the proper point releases the connection E, and the dies are opened very suddenly by the tilting of the lever B, leaving the bullet free either to fall at once or to stick to the punch D. If it falls at once out of the machine, that is of course an end of the operation on that pellet, and the parts will be ready on the next descent-of D to compress the next pellet. \If, on the contrary, the bullet sticks to the punch D with sufficient force,it will on rising meet the end of the lever L, which is urged by the spring p into contact with the side of the punch D, and be thereby detached and com'- pelled to fall, so that it is equally well removed from the machine as if it had fallen by gravity ou the opening of the dies.

The advantages due to the use of my lever B and its connections asmeans of operating the two toggles are that the force or pur chase of the toggles M N is made greater in effect than is ordinarily due to their length, and is practically equal to that of a larger machine, and also that the greater part of the strain is transmitted in a direct line through the lever from end to end, in which direcsion a small amount of material is able to endure a great force, so that my machine is lighter than would otherwise be required.

The further advantages due to the employment of the cam a, connected and arranged as described, are that the operation of opening the dies and releasing the bullet may be performed more rapidly than heretofore, so that the bullet may be prevented from adhering to the dies m4 n by its adhesion to the punch, with which it may freely ascend and from which it can be readily detached by the means described.

The advantages due to my several feeding parts-to wit, thelever J and its connections, and the clearer L and its connections-are, the releasing of a single pellet alone at each descent of the punch sufficiently early to allow it ample time to descend, and the checking of the same until the right moment for its entrance into the dies, and all by very simple and inexpensive arrangements ofmechanism.

Having now 'fully described my improved machine, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The employment, in a-bulletcompress ing machine, of the lever B and cam a, with the toggles M N, arranged relatively thereto, substantially as herein described and shown, for the purpose set forth.

2. Releasing a single pellet at eachdescent of the compressing-punch, in a bullet-compressing machine, by means ofthe check J,or its equivalent, operating substantially in the manner herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GHAS. S. BULKLEY. Vitnesses:

THOMAS D. STETsoN, D. W. STETsoN. 

